Hamlin Lake Trumpeter Swan Rescue-lots of pics

[EdB]

This happened this past summer. Our day began with plans to hike along the west side of Hamlin Lake. As we got near the Hamlin Lake dunes, we were excited to spot a trumpeter swan with a neck band swimming close to shore. We noticed a fishing bobber on his neck just above his orange collar.

The swan followed the shoreline until he encountered a man and his dog swimming by the dunes. The dog spooked the swan and he attempted to fly away. Just as he cleared the water and got into the air, he suddenly nose dived and crashed hard back into the water. He attempted to fly again and crashed again. It was clear that he was entangled in some line and it was preventing a smooth take off. By now he was a ways offshore and swam toward the cove where we first spotted him. Our hearts sank when we realized he couldn’t fly but had enough strength to keep anyone from approaching him to help.

We had to hike back by the cove to return and our friends led the way. As they came down the path, they spotted the swan ahead walking down the trail. Note the bobber on his neck.

Roy pulled out his camera and started snapping pictures as his wife Robin noticed a long fishing line trailing from the swan. She rushed ahead to grab it.

The swan headed into some wetlands near the trail and hunkered down when he realized he was caught.

I was farther back on the trail and thought one of the kids might be hurt when I heard all the screaming. I started running to catch up and saw Robin with the line and everyone shouting we’ve caught the swan. I couldn’t see him but I trailed the line into the cattails and found the swan doing his best to stay hidden. I grabbed his neck and leg expecting to get thrashed but the sawn remained fairly subdued.

I got my arm around his body to hold his wings and brought him up to dry ground.

We laid him down and my wife Dina wrapped some socks around his head and eyes to help settle him down as Robin and I worked to remove the line.

He had a single hook securely buried into his wing. The line went around and neck and tangled there with the bobber. This formed a loop around his neck and the knot at the bobber kept it from strangling him. The line trailed back around his wing and then tangled around one of his legs. There was about 40 feet of line trailing behind him from there. The line was spectra braid fire line and none of us had a knife or a lighter to cut it. I got the hook out but we were stuck for a moment trying to figure out how we could get the loop around his neck undone. I tried biting through it without luck and then attempted to saw it with some car keys. I asked my wife to get her fingers under the loop to protect the swans neck and as I worked on it with the keys. I still couldn’t cut it but we were able to stretch the loop open to about 4 inches in diameter. This was enough to get it over his head and we quickly got the rest untangled from him.

We all had huge smiles on our faces and the few scratches and wet shoes I ended up with were well worth it.

The swan headed for the lake and when he got to the waters edge, he spread his wings to stretch them out, tucked them back into place and then swam away.

I'll never know what caused the swan to get out of the lake and start walking down the trail, very odd behavior for a swan but he clearly needed some help. This was one of my strangest encounters with nature!

[Adam Bomb]

Pretty cool encoutner Ed. Great thing you did there. Did you happen to write down the collar info and report it to the bird band people. They would love the info on the whereabouts of the bird at the time of encounter for their studies.

[Nailer]

Cool. Thanks for sharing.

[KJ pluggin]

Great story Ed, nice work!

[EdB]

Hey Adam, did you ever know a duck hunter who wasn't enamored by bands:D!!!

Even though I didn't get to keep these, I took close up pics of the bands to get the numbers and reported them as soon as I got them off the camera. I e-mailed the pics and story to the USFW. Got this back:

Hi Ed,

Thank you so much for the story and the pictures!! It's nice to know that there are people out there that will help an animal/bird when it's needed.

This is a female Trumpeter Swan that was banded 06/26/2005 8 W of Free Soil, MI. She's been seen 3 times this year all near Ludington, MI.

Thanks again!

Rose DeComo

Bird Banding Laboratory

[Adam Bomb]

To answer your question....NO....Belly up duck.....any bands?:lol:

She's been around for awhile...pretty cool to get that info back.

I got a mallard this year that was banded in Thunder Bay, Ontario in Oct. 2007...Love bands/collars, what a story they tell....Got a collared goose once too.

[GLF]

Great job Ed! Santa will put something EXTRA special under the tree for your good deed.

[Priority1]

Ed and Robin, GJ on the rescue.